With Halloween here, all sorts of scary imagery can be seen everywhere. Scary images in the form of players can be seen in the NFL as well. Let’s see which players are most the likely to cause nightmares.
When people think of Halloween, they think of costumes and an overload of candy. They also think of frightening imagery that can give you nightmares and wake up in a cold sweat. Stores and possibly your neighbor’s yard are littered with images of ghosts, goblins, witches and other creepy figures. Additionally, there is no shortage of scary costume options that include a werewolf, a zombie, and even an evil clown. It’s truly a time for fright and hopefully some fun.
The NFL is very similar to Halloween where scary figures exist. The only difference is that those figures can be seen for 17 straight weeks as opposed to one day. The size of the players and the intensity of their play is enough to scare anyone. It’s a violent sport where some of the cringe-worthy collisions lead to broken bones and torn ligaments. It may be an exciting game, but it’s also a frightening one.
There is a total of 1,696 players in the NFL and it’s safe to say that the majority of them may appear scary. However, only a handful can be considered as the scariest of them all. Let’s take a look at who they are.
5. J.J. Watt – Houston Texans
J.J. Watt is like a modern-day Frankenstein except that he’s much more athletic. Standing at 6’5″ and weighing 289 pounds, he is a hulking figure that you would regret getting on the bad side of. Many opposing quarterbacks in the league have developed a fear of the number 99 because of Watt due to his ferocious tenacity on the defensive line. He’s not only tenacious, but he’s highly effective as proven by his selection to the Pro Bowl on four different occasions. Watt is also a three-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time leader in sacks.
One quarterback in particular that probably has reoccurring nightmares about Watt is E.J. Manuel. In a game against the Buffalo Bills in 2014, Watt hit him nine times and was flagged twice for roughing the passer. J.J. ended up getting fined $16, 537 for only one of the hits. He also intercepted one of Manuel’s passes and returned it for a touchdown. Chances are that E.J. was hit so much that he tried to get rid of the ball in fear of his life.
In the following season, and despite battling a groin injury and a fractured left hand, Watt still led the league with 17.5 sacks. He also recorded 76 tackles and won the Defensive Player of the Year award. It’s a scary thought to imagine what he would have done if he wasn’t hurt.
Despite the fact that Watt is currently on the injured reserve list due to a herniated disc, he is still one of the scariest players in the NFL. As far as opposing quarterbacks are concerned, he can take his sweet time recovering from his surgery.